


the wrong kind of ghost story

by ThatAloneOne



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: F/F, Mythical Beings & Creatures, They're Different Mythical Creatures AU, s2e03 The Siege
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-29 05:19:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19823362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatAloneOne/pseuds/ThatAloneOne
Summary: The fourth or fifth time Jadzia watched Kira linger near the docking bays while ships left for Bajor, she’d asked, “Aren’t you going to go back down?”Kira had just looked at Dax. There wasn’t the usual barely-leashed anger on her face. There wasn’t even really sadness. Kira looked the same way she looked halfway through a shift when nothing in particular was happening.Kira said, “No.”





	the wrong kind of ghost story

**Author's Note:**

> For the trial / first / hell yeah round of the biweekly challenge, for "they're both different mythical creatures". 
> 
> ~~I definitely didn't suggest this prompt because I already had an idea for Kira the nature spirit, nope, not at all.~~

The fourth or fifth time Jadzia watched Kira linger near the docking bays while ships left for Bajor, she’d asked, “Aren’t you going to go back down?”

Kira had just looked at Dax. There wasn’t the usual barely-leashed anger on her face. There wasn’t even really sadness. Kira looked the same way she looked halfway through a shift when nothing in particular was happening. 

Kira said, “No.”

* * *

Dax missed space even though Jadzia was still technically in it. With grav-plating tethering her feet to an inarguable feeling of _down_ , it wasn’t the same. Dax remembered what starlight tasted like, fresh from the source. The wormhole spun outside and even through Jadzia’s spine and ribs and flesh Dax could taste adventure.

* * *

It was just the two of them on the away mission, which was unusual enough that Jadzia appreciated it. Kira always walked differently on the surface of a planet, like the ground was falling away beneath her feet. No. Like she was falling _into_ it. 

Jadzia tumbled after her down the hillside. The faint glow of the red dwarf star made all the tiny flowers surrounding them look like sparks. “Nerys,” she said, panting, refusing to plead, “ _Nerys_. Slow down.”

Kira slowed down, but barely. Dax wriggled like they were back in space again and could swim Jadzia forward. It didn’t help. Kira brace herself against a standing stone at the base of the hill and watched Jadzia fumble with a half-grin, half-smirk. “You’d think with those longer legs-”

“Oh, not this again-”

“-you’d outpace me but _no_ -”

“-I told you I’m a space-faring kind of-”

“-you’re always the last to get there when we’re down planetside,” Kira finished, pleased with herself. Jadzia made an obscene gesture. “Dax, save your energy for walking. You seem to need it.”

“Just because you’re communing with the rocks so they don’t send you careening onto your ass doesn’t mean we can all do that,” Jadzia told her. She’d fallen down four times since they’d beamed down, and given they had a good half-day until it was time to return to the shuttle, she’d probably double that number. “If you have any secret grip tips, though, I’ll take them.”

Kira’s face closed off. Just a little. She was the Major again, the one Jadzia always saw overseeing the flow of Bajorans to and fro the planet and Deep Space Nine. “Did you manage to keep the samples intact, at least?”

Jadzia hoisted the sample case and didn’t press and didn’t lean and didn’t ask Kira what had gone wrong. “Yessir, intact as ordered.”

Kira didn’t roll her eyes, but she loosened enough in that moment that Jadzia recognized her again. In the light of the red star, the sparking flowers in the background had brought her to flame. 

* * *

“Preparing to establish a high altitude orbit of Bajor.”

Dax stared at the dusty bank of computers. They stared back at her. “Navigational sensors aren’t functioning!”

Kira practically scoffed. “No problem.”

“No problem?” Jadzia’s voice climbed an octave. Maybe if she made it out of this alive, she’d go into opera. “Big problem! Without navigational sensors-”

Kira cast Jadzia half a look over her shoulder. It wasn’t impressed. “We’ll have to fly by the seat of our pants.” 

Alright then. If Kira wasn’t worried than- Jadzia would still be worried. “Great!” It was mostly cheerful. “Seat of the pants technology!”

Jadzia could see Kira’s funny little grimace in the reflection of the far-too-close front of the shuttle. “You Starfleet types are too dependant on gadgets and gizmos.” She rolled her shoulders. “I know the terrain of Bajor. We ought to be able to-"

The shuttle shook. Whatever systems hadn’t already given up the ghost did now in a shower of sparks that bit into Jadzia’s skin like a blast of meteor dust. Kira swore. “Someone’s firing at us! Initiating evasive manoeuvres!”

_How?_ , Jadzia wanted to scream, but Kira was already bent over the console and the world turned upside down. 

* * *

Not for the first time, Jadzia wished that Dax had slowed their run back to the stars for just a _moment_ , long enough to pick up medical knowledge. Seeing Kira bleeding against the moss she was pressing to her wound, laid back against a tree like it was a hospital bed… Jadzia had nothing. Dax had nothing. 

What use was stardust without people who would smile at its shine?

“Go,” Kira said. She looked… different. Her shoulders were braced like she was about to start yelling at Quark, but she didn’t have the detachment Jadzia was used to seeing in these kind of situations. “Get the evidence to the provisional government. You have to leave me and that’s an order, Lieutenant.”

Jadzia opened her mouth to tell Kira in no uncertain terms that she was no longer the commanding officer when-

Footsteps from behind them. Someone pushed through the trees. Kira closed her eyes in something that almost looked like defeat. 

But the man didn’t grab them. He was staring right at the tree Kira was leant up against, but he didn’t say a thing. 

“ _Kej’hawn boryhas_ ,” he breathed. 

Kira opened her eyes. Her hand fisted in the moss against her stomach and- Jadzia didn’t know much, but Kira had been bleeding a lot. Shouldn’t the moss have soaked through? It was the same untouched flaky green as it had been before Kira had peeled it from the tree.

“ _Balik_ ,” Kira snapped. 

And then he turned and left. The search party continued past them. Dax sang a song of _supernova, danger, life-bringing light_ against Jadzia’s heart. Without saying a word, Kira reached out and took her hand. 

**Author's Note:**

> Bajoran notes:
> 
>  **Balik** \- "go away" or "get lost!"
> 
>  **kej’hawn boryhas** — a nature spirit of freedom. An old Bajoran myth that became popular again during the Occupation. (At least that’s what I'm declaring this is). The root word sources are **kejal** (freedom), **shawn** (swamp), and **boryhas** (ghosts or spirits of the dead).


End file.
